The Mercedes-Benz 280SL is no feeble baby. This one's for sale! 

A Mercedes from the era of peak-Mercedes quality

Still one of the best cars ever. Stylish, solid, and very cool.

Until a few years ago I used a 420SL as my only car. Deeply irresponsible for someone on my budget, but I don't regret it. Parts costs are crippling however and eventually I was just priced out of it. But, for my money, the prettiest car ever - I absolutely loved it. Don't believe the nonsense about the facelift cars being more rust resistant - MB built more water traps into that car than you shake a stick at. Takes two big lads and wheel barrow to take the hardtop off, amusingly my owners manual suggested that I should just pop along to my nearest Mercedes Benz agent who would remove the hard top and store it for me. Try doing that today. Despite all that they are superb. Yes they don't go round corners that well, yes they cost an arm to run and yes unless you are not a shortie like me they are a challenge to get in and out of. But, they are so cool. Drive it and you will think you are Richard Gere at the start of American Gigolo, even if like me - you've a face like a robber's dog.

I wish Mercedes-Benz still made cars like this today. I'm really fed up with seeing A-Classes everywhere and driven by bellends.

Still looks classy after all those years

I can imagine, on the day after the world ends, there will be an R107 somewhere, purring quietly just waiting for a driver to come along. And still looking as Hollywood as the day the first one rolled off the production line.

I drove a 450slc from london to aberdeen over three days back in the seventies. I still think it was one of the best cars I’ve driven

Peak Mercedes here, gorgeous looking car, and certainly gets a shift on. Had to laugh when you went for that imaginary fifth gear😂😂😂 Excellent drive as always.

One of my fave cars of all time, nice to see a manual as well, most of the cars for sale are auto. Stunning and timeless design classic !!

Lovely cars. About 20 years ago I persuaded my parents that they needed one but even then there were some incredibly rusty examples around.

Just so you know I use my soft top regularly as I live in the UK The hardtop is purely for winter in the 20 years of owning my 450 As I said before my two classic 70's Mercedes are my cheapest cars to run

built in an era when Benz built cars worthy of their name. then they married Chrysler and they've never fully recovered since. I remember my local garage in Thailand renovating one of these. they replaced the engine with a Nissan 6 cylinder twin turbo. it actually made quite a bit of sense considering the local availablilty and cost of the Nissan engine over the original unit. never got the chance to see it finished but the workmanship was excellent.

From memory, the 350SL was available with manual transmission. As for the automatic, the early 4 speed had a simple fluid coupling, the 3 speed has torque converter coupling, which gives torque multiplication and didn't need such a low, first gear. I'm a big fan of the 280 twin-cam 'six. I'd be quite happy with a 280SL.

I own a 280SL my grandfather bought new in 1974. I have owned several V8's as well, but prefer the m110. It is a better balanced car, it sounds great when properly tuned. If I were looking for an R107 I would not pass a 280, not at all. Nice car.

Many choose the 280 and 300 SL for their lower consumption of petrol, but also because they are lighter than the V8 variants. The Euro models usually have a higher price, and the 420 was only sold in Europe and is the rarest of them all. The 560 SL was not sold in Europe, but there are a few of them with Euro specifications, delivered to Japan, Canada and Mexico, among others. Then they have 279 hp against 231 US horses, if I remember correctly. The last 500 SLs were delivered in Europe and had 245 hp. There are some AMG models with a 6.0 liter engine, but they are as expensive as the expensive Ferraris. The problem with the R107 mod, i.e. the SL series, is that they can rust where you don't have a chance to see it, and it costs more than it tastes.

It has the non-automatic air conditioner which is far better than the automatic. Plus, the engine easily cruises at high speeds. My neighbor owned the 280SL, I owned the 380SL, both engines were thirsty.😮

Lovely video and lovely car. My Mum had a 1984 280SL in green. She found the doors a bit too heavy so we swapped cars for the Summer. I had so much fun using the 280SL as a daily driving around the Broads area in Norfolk where I lived at the time. Thanks for the memory.

I had a 1986 500SL in the same Champagne Gold. Fantastic bit of kit but it was only 3 years old when I owned it and the most expensive car I had ever bought so I was a bit scared to drive it for fear of damaging it.

I could see that in my garage, they are still so stylish and so cool.

280sl Best all round classic car - Quality, performance, usability, hardtop and convertible etc. 👍

owned a W126 and W201 … would love one. Definitely next on the list - and the missus agrees!

Beautiful car, I worked on such a 280SL in my mechanic time, nice car to test drive.

cool, my Dad had a dark blue 1973 450 SL, bought in 198o sold in 1987. Good memories. Sold for 15, 000 dollars, then bought a new Jeep Cherokee, 4.0 inline 6, 4 wd, five speed manual , for the $ from selling the 450 SL 🥰 dark blue as well.

Cor I could listen to that engine all day

personally I think M103 is the best 6 cylinder engine for these roadsters. Perfect blend of reliability, fuel efficiency, power and simplicity.

Throughly enjoyed this road test, Ian. Top quality journalism. ❤

Those are the wheels to have, much nicer that the later smoother wheels.

I had a 116 280SE and the engine was gorgeous in that larger car so imagine it would have been perfect in a 107. i remember a particularly great trip I had from Mildura back to Melbourne 546K in 4 and 1/4 hours. The Benz brakes of this era were terrific too. 5 Pagodas for sale in Australia are AUD175K to 280K

Machined from a solid lump of steel. Would love one.

And that's what manufacturers should be doing now. Building something attractive, well made and enjoyable to drive, then not mess with it or replace it with a revamped version every couple of years. Servicing, parts etc would be plentiful and reasonably priced. This car now has added provenance! As driven by Ian Seabrook of Hubnut fame!

My father had a 'Pagoda' 280 SL in period and he had a couple of bad accidents in it, the only ones he ever had, due to rear drum brakes locking in the wet. I think the R107 SL was better engineered in this respect and obviously represents better value compared to the over-inflated prices of the 'Pagoda'; still a handsome car, more masculine than the W113 and represents peak Mercedes-Benz build quality before the bean-counters ruined their reputation.

Hard to imagine a Benz with roll up windows and a manual! Such a timeless design and in this spec it must be quite rare.

Love it 😍 and that M110 engine is a gem too

Superb cars. Love that 6 sound. I used to have a 450se and was very sorry to see it go to the next owner. I agree about the 6 cylinder, it makes great use of its 180hp and is probably all you need. SLC model is a bargain, 🤫 don’t tell anyone!

R107 most beautiful convertible ever built

you make a compelling argument for owenership of these, i have a w114 and was glad you nodded to the family history. great report Ian and thanks for pushing out quality videos.

That would be a perfect addition to the hubnut fleet

Lovely car, I always admired these, I was pleased to see that in my BMW they still have the cold setting on the centre vents no matter what else is set to warm, albeit you need the fan switched on

Now that's a cool car and the colour and the interior is gorgeous.

My Dad owned a 500v8 SL in black. A fantastically well screwed together motor car. When Mercedes built cars to a high engineering standard not to a price.

Can't believe you forgot to mention the headlamp wipers! 😆

Hubnut at his absolute best. Magnificent review of a classic.

I have got a W123 Coupe 230CE, 4 cylinders, which on the heavier car that the W123 is still feels rather adequate I am sure, as you rightly point out, that the SL 280 in-line 6, being a smaller and lighter car than the W123, must feel very enjoyable to drive, good power and a lighter front end as opposed to the bulkier V8s.

Nothing beats British Leyland quirky cars as Landcrabs, Princesses and Allegros -- love those range of cars! Princess 2200HLS is my all time favourite british car! A real british Lancia-Citroen !

Yup, the US 500SL was neutered cos of the emissions stuff they insisted on slapping onto it over there, so Mercedes made the 560SL for them, which gave the performance(ish) of the Euro 500SL, but with the emissions stuff to appease the paper-pushers, a friend over there has a grey-import Euro 500SL, which if I recall took a trip via Australia many years ago to end up unofficially imported into the US and mildly disguised with the US-DOT headlamps (the twin round sealed-beam jobs), and has been in his family for 40 odd years since, and only relatively recently officially became his car...

The young man who purchased my 380SL raved about it being rust free and so well maintained. I later learned he disassembled it and sold it for parts.

Great car and in my opinion the 2.8 is the best engine and with around 185 hp as fast as the 350, 380 and 450. To be precise: Production ended 4.8.1989. Chers PS Bobby Erwing had one.

Looks much better without the giant US spec bumpers. We never got the cloth interiors here for some reason.

Great review of a great car from the era of great German machinery - before MB got carried away with being unreliable blingmobiles.

Took one of these in Part-Ex against the new R129 500SL when I worked for Mercedes, blagged it as a company car for a few days until it went on sale, sold it in less than a day, be a great car for it's next owner.

even though it has 4 gears according to the info i have seen online this car does 130mph which is more than enough , the 0-60 is adequate too 9 secs

Very nice. Roof off, Stetson on, Dallas theme tune on the stereo. Bullet proof vest, just in case. 😁

Personally, I found the 6 cil. more entertaining to drive than the small V8 350. I had both in SLC format. The 4-automatic went very well with the 6. The manual 4 I had on the V8 was less fun; it just didn't suit the car. Mileage was nearly the same.

I've never been a fan of Mercedes Benz cars, but I have to admit, that is a nice car. And 2.8L isn't ridiculous as far as engines go either, but cries out for a 5th gear or overdrive in my opinion.

A missed opportunity. You and Miss Hubnut as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart. With Diego as Freeway! 👌😁

Your example is definitely a survivor. I've seen plenty of not so fortunate examples, practically a net curtain of rust. It is a nice car, but be careful it is also going to be a money pit when it comes to keeping it up together and looking good.

There’s a blue one in the Trafford centre near me, preserved in mint condition. Was the owners mothers I think

Been thinking about getting either one of these or an E24 BMW (or even something else) as a stablemate to my W123. I generally thought V8 was the way to go with the R107, but apparently not! Very useful video, Ian 👍

Once again you’re driving a car I want and have been online looking for a few month. This or a R129. The 107s here around Ohio are either rusty or want a lot of money for if they’re not deep into 6 figure mileage. Prices for nice ones are definitely higher lately. I love that dark red and plaid interior and I prefer a six cylinder over the v8.

For me that's the engine to go. Beautiful example.

Funny you should choose this car. I have just bought a 2001 W210 E340 (54,000k's - yes that's right) Rhino , that last of the great Mercs.. I have fallen in love with it. When you come to OZ again it's all yours to drive around and do your stuff. She is called Cherry.

Great to see the 4-sp. What a beautiful car. A W116 280S model on a carb with manual transmission might also be very Hubnut. Similar wipers. Unfortuantely, don't have one to offer or I would.

I could see Mrs Hub Nuts driving the beast 😁. If memory serves me correct the rally winning SLC was an automatic, and is in a Mercedes museum.

THAT sound! 😍

"This is my boss, Jonathan Hart - a self-made millionaire."

What a gorgeous car, a 5th gear would be nice by from the sound it makes at 70 mph it's not desperate for one. I've always thought that the larger SLC is such a beautiful car and would love to be able to afford one of those.

I will forever associate the SL with the classic 1980s TV series Dempsey & Makepeace :)

The 2,8 litre Twin Cam engine is a great engine. The power is more than adequate. Automatic is a must IMO though and that too is a 4 speed, not a 3 speed.

Even in that old man colour and least sexy engine, that is a gorgeous car. 👍

What a beautiful car! Excellent video too 👏🏼😀

Doctor's wife's car to get to the tennis court... Nice road test as always. Thanks, Ian and see you soon again. [Martin]

This M110 engine was called the Schellenbaum (Turkish Cescent) at Mercedes because of its many moving parts, which produce strange noises.

Lovely car, great video 👍

The V8 grunt is for America, where we like what we can do with prodigious torque at relatively low speeds….i think many in the UK like that too.

Nice another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

I love these cars. Get a red one and pretend to be Bobby Ewing out of Dallas 😂 Great review of this car in the original hubnut style

From 1976 to 1985, the antipodean Australian cars had US spec compression ratio engines, always automatic, often long wheelbase. Always lethargic and slow. A Triumph Stag would jump over any Ocker 450SLC.They didnt even crack the 225 hp mark. Rather than retune the Bosch K Jetronic with the better D Jetronic and raise the compression ratio a little, the OZ soec cars had the US spec engine with an 8.3:1 Two Star Fuel Stanadrd gasoline spec. The 280SL manual is a mid 16 second quarter mile car, with more top speed than the Oz or US 450 SLC

Ian was drawn towards it ''headlight wipers '' mmmmmmmmm🤣🤣

The phrase is "She lifts her skirt" as a synonym for going fast. A bonnet has never been lifted to go fast. Language is important. Don't pander to the woke, offended by everything, mob.

It’s surprising that the gearing is so high (correction: low); on the autobahn it would be screaming.

This will make you sick, it did me, few years ago I was at a salvage yard, there were two of these complete and in good condition matching vanity plates, what really made me sick was this yard only payed (at the time) $200 a car, who in their right mind parts with TWO mercs for only $400,

Blanket statement: Mercedes inline sixes are their best motors. I was disappointed at your "emissions garbage" comment. The US enacted its first emissions regulations in 1970 and Canada followed in 1971. As these became more stringent, cars became less powerful. It took the advent of electronic engine management for power to return, but without emissions regulations we would still be running carburettors and points ignitions. Calling those early efforts garbage is unfortunate. They weren't perfect, but they were something at a time when no one else was doing anything about car emissions. When my future wife and I toured Europe by motorcycle in 1982, the first thing that struck us in London, Milan, or Paris was the smell of car exhaust. When I worked in the UK in the early 90s, that smell was still there. Yes, early emissions controls cost us a bunch of hp and some European makers gave up on the North American market rather than make a real effort at compliance, but there were real tangible benefits.

Like that. Pretty car. 😍

I finally figured out who you remind me of 'Mr the nut sir'. You are the 'John Peel' of the motoring world.

Beautiful car from the best era of timeless, granite like Mercedes. The Bobby Ewing Mercedes but without the stupid American bumper extensions making it look that much more sleek

I always loved the looks.

Ain't like today, where the top retracts itself at the push of a button.

For years, me and a mate had a running gag about the beautiful town of Beaumaris. Every time one of us would go, the other one would enquire as to how many “Bobby Ewing Mercs” we’d seen. The whole place used to be crawling in them. Posh, Beaumaris like. I’d love a 107 but I’m always minded of my dad’s wisdom: “Cars get cheaper to buy, but not cheaper to fix. How much were they new?” Maybe I’ll stick to prole motors.

A most interesting vehicle indeed thus great content for the channel well done 👌👌

I own a 1983 380sl euro model with the 6 cylinder 110 engine,it's a jackrabbit,I own a 450sl and it's a slow turtle,the euro model is banned in California it's a gray model, insurance company won't insure it or will smog , emission test it.

Evening Ian Next time your around Bicester, I have a 2003 audi TT 3.2 roadster mk1 and a early 1990 cavalier 1.6L pov spec no power steering or electric windows, I know you have driven a TT but I don’t think that was the 3.2 V6 ? Anyway if you fancy driving either let me know and we can sort something out , there’s a video on my channel of the cars

Americans would have thought anything less than a V8 would have been sub par as the majority of cars were huge and big engined in the 70s. Unfortunate, but at least Mercedes produced a very European product in terms of quality.

I dunno why but i prefer the straight 6s to the v8s . This particular model is a typical example , lighter n with a 4spd manual , makes it easier to get around town where traffic can be heavy n annoying 🤓

I think its stablemate the W116 280S with a manual column shifter is more fun to drive

Ahh, so that's why you were in my neck of the woods the other week. Absolutely bomb proof those things and when compared to the first generation, pretty cheap to buy.

Spot on review spot on car. Perfect Thank you

Absaloutly brilliant video Ian ❤👍 absaloutly beautiful car love it that interior dash colour reminded me of the Vauxhall royale brilliant

the allegro has a similarly bizzare wiper set-up

Old fashioned and obnoxious. But enough about me. What a great motor! Keep it up Ian!

The door trim strip doesn’t line up with the front wing trim strip and it’s driving me crazy 😂